Attempting a low carb diet

My husband and I (hubs is an active runner) have been discussing for awhile now about reducing the amount of carbs in our diet. We are not "grain heavy" in our meals but many studies regarding aging and health show that a diet high in fruits/vegetables/proteins and low in sugars/carbs/salts may help prolong good health, and we want to promote healthy eating habits, especially to our children. I have a friend who is a "No Meat Runner" and has found many substitutes for protein. Does anyone have any advice on substituting vegetables or fruits in place of grains? Not opposed to the occasional slice of whole wheat or cup of rice, but would prefer to not rely on those to "fill a belly".

Following a low carb diet while running is the most counterproductive thing to do, in my opinion.

If you want to only be able to run as slow as a tortoise, then fine. But if you want to run FAST, you need glycogen.

I reckon the most important thing, if you want to have a healthy diet, is to eliminate or reduce to a minimum the PROCESSED FOODS, and base your diet on whole foods, like whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. That's all good stuff.

I'm not sure your heading conveys what you are actually seeking. Are you looking for advice on healthier carb sources to substitute for grains and complex carbs? "Low carb" is merely an amount, and it sounds like what you might be looking to make is a qualitative, not quantitative, change.

Asking a question like that is a really bad idea on this board. You're asking a bunch of rail-thin marathon runners, who think it's a good idea to gorge themselves on pasta, whether it's a good idea to cut carbs. Most of them don't really know what eating low carb means either.

I do it. I've lost over 50 pounds since the end of Dec. which is when I started running. From a high point of over 350lbs a couple years ago, I've lost over 100 pounds since I started cutting out THE BAD carbs (which is what low carb really means). I ran a 10k two weeks ago. I ran 17 miles this past weekend. Generally I run ~25-30 miles a week and the only reason it isn't higher is due to time constraints. As far as overall health, my last Dr's appointment, he started getting alarmed at how much weight I had lost and how much all of my numbers had improved. until I told him I had started running. Initially he was afraid there might be something else going on.

Asking a question like that is a really bad idea on this board. You're asking a bunch of rail-thin marathon runners, who think it's a good idea to gorge themselves on pasta, whether it's a good idea to cut carbs. Most of them don't really know what eating low carb means either.

I've lost over 100 pounds since I started cutting out THE BAD carbs (which is what low carb really means).

No it doesn't. Low carb means exactly that, low carb. According to your definition, someone on a raw vegan diet that eats primarily fruit is on a low carb diet, which they are not.

I never ever suggested that someone on a vegan diet eats only fruit and is considered 'low carb". I used the example that my vegetarian friend has found alternatives for protein in her diet, instead of MEAT she has found vegetarian friendly substitutes.I was only wondering if there was an alternative for grains too. I don't think there is any such thing as a bad question, it was only to gain information or advice.Originally Posted by kjkranz:

Originally Posted by jeb6294:

Asking a question like that is a really bad idea on this board. You're asking a bunch of rail-thin marathon runners, who think it's a good idea to gorge themselves on pasta, whether it's a good idea to cut carbs. Most of them don't really know what eating low carb means either.

I've lost over 100 pounds since I started cutting out THE BAD carbs (which is what low carb really means).

No it doesn't. Low carb means exactly that, low carb. According to your definition, someone on a raw vegan diet that eats primarily fruit is on a low carb diet, which they are not.

LOL, well a lot of studies regarding aging and aging related issues (diabetes particularly which runs in my family on my side and my husband's side) suggest that reducing the amount of carbs can help ward off diabetes later in life. I believe we have a very healthy diet as it is, no processed foods in my house and all the grains (except white rice) in my home are also whole wheat, but was just wondering about alternatives, if anyone had any suggestions. Husband wants to find a way to reduce carbs from grains and find a vegetable alternative, so I just thought I would ask. Originally Posted by bmoojeni:

Who says grains are bad? The paleo crowd?

Following a low carb diet while running is the most counterproductive thing to do, in my opinion.

If you want to only be able to run as slow as a tortoise, then fine. But if you want to run FAST, you need glycogen.

I reckon the most important thing, if you want to have a healthy diet, is to eliminate or reduce to a minimum the PROCESSED FOODS, and base your diet on whole foods, like whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. That's all good stuff.

Maybe my heading is off, I wasn't really sure what to write it as. We definitely only have whole grains in our home, except for white rice, and zero processed foods. Husband and I were both wondering if it would be possible to find a vegetable (or fruit or legume, etc) that could replicate what grains do. Originally Posted by DeterminedTortoise:

I'm not sure your heading conveys what you are actually seeking. Are you looking for advice on healthier carb sources to substitute for grains and complex carbs? "Low carb" is merely an amount, and it sounds like what you might be looking to make is a qualitative, not quantitative, change.

What is it that grains "do" that you're looking to replicate from vegetables and meats? (I'm assuming you aren't looking for something to replicate the blood sugar spikes and crashes they bring or the inflammatory gut reaction) Are you looking for texture similarity? Taste similarity? Simple carb replacements for complex carbs? I'm just not sure what you're looking for.

No it doesn't. Low carb means exactly that, low carb. According to your definition, someone on a raw vegan diet that eats primarily fruit is on a low carb diet, which they are not.

Prime example. I'll bet you think everyone on Atkins only eat eggs, bacon and steak for three meals a day. If you would ever bother to do some research, you would see that the carbs that are being eliminated are the bad processed carbs. All the fruits and vegetables are still there. Even whole grains are fine. When they start turning grains into enriched wheat flour and fruit into juice that only has 10% fruit juice in it, those are off limits.

Back to the OP, if you're not trying to lose a bunch of weight and just want to gut down on the processed food a little bit, you can just make simple substitutions, i.e. brown rice instead of white, use spaghetti squash instead of pasta, etc.

No it doesn't. Low carb means exactly that, low carb. According to your definition, someone on a raw vegan diet that eats primarily fruit is on a low carb diet, which they are not.

Prime example. I'll bet you think everyone on Atkins only eat eggs, bacon and steak for three meals a day. If you would ever bother to do some research, you would see that the carbs that are being eliminated are the bad processed carbs. All the fruits and vegetables are still there. Even whole grains are fine. When they start turning grains into enriched wheat flour and fruit into juice that only has 10% fruit juice in it, those are off limits.

Back to the OP, if you're not trying to lose a bunch of weight and just want to gut down on the processed food a little bit, you can just make simple substitutions, i.e. brown rice instead of white, use spaghetti squash instead of pasta, etc.

So, is the Fruitarian on a low carb diet? Are the east Africans, who's diet is 75% CHO (but all whole grain, fruit, vegetables), on a low carb diet? I'm just curious, as apparently my Clinical Nutrition degree failed to teach me what a low carb diet is.

I'm confused. Vegetables = Carbs. ( if you're not sure about that, then you must think they are either protein or fat..because EVERYTHING is either carb, protein or fat ) Your body prefers carbs as a source of energy but can digest muscle and fat tissue if it needs to. Your brain on the other hand, MUST have glucose & glycogen for fuel. There are many studies that link mental function and dietary carbohydrates. Improving the quality of your carb intake is always a good idea, but getting too restrictive on all carbs is not. It seems like the OP has a pretty healthy diet with whole grains and such, so I'm not sure what kind of improvement they want ( or need to make ). Less processed is always good, and complex carbs are better than simple carbs, but it seems like they are already there. The general guideline is 60% of your calories should be carbs.

Not everything is a not a carb, protein or fat although those are the macronutrients the body uses for energy, which is what I take that to mean. I didn't take the OP to be saying that vegetables are not carbofydrates. The OP made pretty clear from the first post that she was looking to replace processed and starchy carbs and grains with healthier alternatives. Whole grain is normally more nutritious than more highly processed grains, but it's not necessarily ideal as an energy source.

Reducing either the overall amount of carbs or changing the quality of them won't starve the brain, but it will stabilize and lower insilin levels. The government recommendation is 45-60%, though most nutritionists will promote 60% and have it include whole grains. Getting a minimum of 100-200 grams of carbs per day is plenty to keep the body out of ketosis. If you get those carbs from vegetables and some fruit, and you target your daily protein from .7-1 gram per pound of LBM per day, you can consume fats as needed adjusted to your energy demands. Thats pretty low carb, healthier carbs, but covers the bases of storing glycogen and fueling the brain and muscles.

And I second the spaghetti squash instead of pasta. I bake mine with some roasted garlic cloves and some butter and it's pretty tasty. Is it the same as spaghetti? No. But tasty in its own right.

Thank you! I missed the post above about the spaghetti squash replacing pasta so happy that you mentioned it again. I have never cooked spaghetti squash before as I'm not sure how to prepare it. You said baking it...do you cut it up before baking? Can it typically go with different pasta dishes (as pasta normally would)? I have started adding lentils into our diet recently to back off on rice as well and find they make a wonderful addition and can be used in many different cooking styles. I think you hit the nail on the head with what I am looking for, I guess I was not sure how to word it above which lead to a lot of confusion from everyone following the post. Thanks again!

Originally Posted by DeterminedTortoise:

Not everything is a not a carb, protein or fat although those are the macronutrients the body uses for energy, which is what I take that to mean. I didn't take the OP to be saying that vegetables are not carbofydrates. The OP made pretty clear from the first post that she was looking to replace processed and starchy carbs and grains with healthier alternatives. Whole grain is normally more nutritious than more highly processed grains, but it's not necessarily ideal as an energy source.

Reducing either the overall amount of carbs or changing the quality of them won't starve the brain, but it will stabilize and lower insilin levels. The government recommendation is 45-60%, though most nutritionists will promote 60% and have it include whole grains. Getting a minimum of 100-200 grams of carbs per day is plenty to keep the body out of ketosis. If you get those carbs from vegetables and some fruit, and you target your daily protein from .7-1 gram per pound of LBM per day, you can consume fats as needed adjusted to your energy demands. Thats pretty low carb, healthier carbs, but covers the bases of storing glycogen and fueling the brain and muscles.

And I second the spaghetti squash instead of pasta. I bake mine with some roasted garlic cloves and some butter and it's pretty tasty. Is it the same as spaghetti? No. But tasty in its own right.

I missed your comment earlier about the spaghetti squash replacing pasta. I have never prepared it before (not sure how!). I do know what it looks like from seeing it in the market. Is it easy to prepare, or something I would need to "plan ahead for"?I have tried cooking brown rice and could never get it to come out right, which is the only reason why I still have white rice in the home. I do enjoy my whole grains, but don't want to have to have rice, spaghetti, or bread with *every single meal*. Thank you for the suggestino of spaghetti squash. I will have to try that out!Originally Posted by jeb6294:

Originally Posted by kjkranz:

No it doesn't. Low carb means exactly that, low carb. According to your definition, someone on a raw vegan diet that eats primarily fruit is on a low carb diet, which they are not.

Prime example. I'll bet you think everyone on Atkins only eat eggs, bacon and steak for three meals a day. If you would ever bother to do some research, you would see that the carbs that are being eliminated are the bad processed carbs. All the fruits and vegetables are still there. Even whole grains are fine. When they start turning grains into enriched wheat flour and fruit into juice that only has 10% fruit juice in it, those are off limits.

Back to the OP, if you're not trying to lose a bunch of weight and just want to gut down on the processed food a little bit, you can just make simple substitutions, i.e. brown rice instead of white, use spaghetti squash instead of pasta, etc.

Love beans, recently added in lentils <--- Thanks! Sweet potatoes...the only time I've had sweet potatoes is in a sweet potato souffle which is practically a dessert. Is there another way to cook them? I know they are full of some good nutrients and would be interested in learning more about them to add into my diet. Thanks!

You are right, I definitely do not want to replicate the sugar highs and lows associated with processed white sugary grains., especially since diabetes has recently become an issue with parents on my side of the family as well as hubs side, so we want to take precautions. Not necessarily a taste similarity, more of a texture similarity filled with more good nutrients, serving a wider purpose than what a slice of bread would do.

Originally Posted by DeterminedTortoise:

What is it that grains "do" that you're looking to replicate from vegetables and meats? (I'm assuming you aren't looking for something to replicate the blood sugar spikes and crashes they bring or the inflammatory gut reaction) Are you looking for texture similarity? Taste similarity? Simple carb replacements for complex carbs? I'm just not sure what you're looking for.

Spaghetti squash is actually pretty easy to prepare. I just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, lace it on a baking sheet, and cook it at 400 for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size). You'll know it's "done" when you can use a folk to easily scrape the squash out in strings.

You can also "bake" them in the microwave in the summer to avoid heating up the kitchen, though I haven't personally tried this method.

For the garlic, I just place a few garlic cloves and some butter on aluminum foil and fold the foil to make a packet and let it bake along with the squash.

Thanks!!! Definitely going to try that out this weekend. Sounds like something I could do on a normal basis too. Thank you for the tip on the garlic cloves and butter, sounds like it will be quite tasty! I am looking forward to it.

Originally Posted by DeterminedTortoise:

Spaghetti squash is actually pretty easy to prepare. I just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, lace it on a baking sheet, and cook it at 400 for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size). You'll know it's "done" when you can use a folk to easily scrape the squash out in strings.

You can also "bake" them in the microwave in the summer to avoid heating up the kitchen, though I haven't personally tried this method.

For the garlic, I just place a few garlic cloves and some butter on aluminum foil and fold the foil to make a packet and let it bake along with the squash.

Not everything is a not a carb, protein or fat although those are the macronutrients the body uses for energy, which is what I take that to mean.

I believe that anything you digest is one of those 3. When looking at a nutritional label, the Fat Calories+Carb Calories+Protein Calories = Total Calories. Within those categories, things have varying amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-oxidents and so on....but I'd be hard pressed to name a food that doesn't fit into some combination of Fat, Carb or Protein. We may just be arguing semantics, in which case I don't want to hi-jack the thread, as the OP is getting lots of good information here, but I don't want to pass up a chance to learn something either, so if you're willing to expand on your statement, I'd love to hear more. Thanks !

Sweet potatoes...the only time I've had sweet potatoes is in a sweet potato souffle which is practically a dessert. Is there another way to cook them? I know they are full of some good nutrients and would be interested in learning more about them to add into my diet. Thanks!

I love sweet potatoes cooked in the oven so haven't had to stray from that method. For variety, I just top with different flavors.

When I bake them whole, I almost always eat them with butter and usually top with some walnuts and a little salt.

I more often slice them into sticks/rounds. I mix them with a little oil and then top them with various spices before roasting. My standbys:

Cumin & cayenne, then some lime juice

Salt, then dipped in honey

Cinnamon

I haven't made it like this myself yet, but at a restaurant I had a black bean and sweet potato stew that was tasty.

Not everything is a not a carb, protein or fat although those are the macronutrients the body uses for energy, which is what I take that to mean.

I believe that anything you digest is one of those 3. When looking at a nutritional label, the Fat Calories+Carb Calories+Protein Calories = Total Calories. Within those categories, things have varying amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-oxidents and so on....but I'd be hard pressed to name a food that doesn't fit into some combination of Fat, Carb or Protein. We may just be arguing semantics, in which case I don't want to hi-jack the thread, as the OP is getting lots of good information here, but I don't want to pass up a chance to learn something either, so if you're willing to expand on your statement, I'd love to hear more. Thanks !

Any calories you ingest will be either proteins, fats, or carbs of some sort. But there are plenty of other things your body "digests" that aren't direct sources of energy - water, vitamins, minerals and the other "micronutrients." There are plenty of "foods" that aren't any combination of fat, carbs or protein. When you sweeten a beverage with an artificial sweetener to create a calorie free beverage, you still have a "food" even if it's really non-nutritive.

I went low-carb for a month. In fact I'm just two weeks removed. I had no problem with the diet and actually dropped 12 pounds. Despite being lighter, I did struggle with running. I'm not sure if it was a mental thing or if my energy levels were that depleted. The first 10 minutes of a run are always the toughest for me and it's very possible that my mind won.

I went low-carb for a month. In fact I'm just two weeks removed. I had no problem with the diet and actually dropped 12 pounds. Despite being lighter, I did struggle with running. I'm not sure if it was a mental thing or if my energy levels were that depleted. The first 10 minutes of a run are always the toughest for me and it's very possible that my mind won.

I had the same issue. I cut back my carbs when I took a couple weeks off from any heavy exercise cut to IT band issues. It helped me maintain a lower weight but as soon as I tried to run and get back to my heavy routine without the carbs, I did fine for a couple days then I just crashed. I think limiting your carbs as an endurance runner to anything less than 100g per day is insane. I just can't function with that little carbs in my system.

Yes as a paleo eater and runner I can attest that while it is fantastic to avoid grain based and gluten-rich carb sources you can't run far or fast without replacing those things with plenty of fruit and starchy vegetables. That said, I still only eat about 150 grams a day of carbs which is low compared to the standard North American diet, yet which is plenty to fuel good fast long runs if properly combined with the ability to additionally burn animal fat as fuel. I know people who are extremely fit in a state of ketosis basically only burning fat for energy but they are typically not endurance athletes.

If God meant for us to run barefoot, why did he make our feet in the shape of shoes?

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